


The Florist/Tattoist AU nobody asked for but has been sitting in my drafts for the fucking longest

by ShyLittleWriter



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, F/F, Oh well I tried, Slow Burn, slow burnish i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22884331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyLittleWriter/pseuds/ShyLittleWriter
Summary: The title says it all, honeyEnjoy :)
Relationships: Charlie/Zari Tomaz, Nora Darhk/Ray Palmer, Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	The Florist/Tattoist AU nobody asked for but has been sitting in my drafts for the fucking longest

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, Brooke here. Just passing by to give my support to all you battling corona right now or have someone close battling the disease. Hoping everything goes well with you :)

“Hello there.”

Charlie was amazed. She reminded herself to put a note on her computer to thank Sara for making her stay in the shop while she went to buy some materials that were missing. Her friend specifically told her:

“Don't take any customers. If people want a tattoo they need an appointment. If they do have one…”

“I'll tell them to wait since we are short in material,” finished Charlie before Sara had the chance.

Looking back now, she was glad Sara chose to leave her behind instead of closing the shop temporarily, giving her the opportunity to meet the wonder that had just walked through the door. Unfortunately for Charlie, she was accompanied by a tall man.

She had to admit: dude was hot.

Dark hair, strong jaw line and a body that clearly showed signs he worked out regularly. Charlie was a little scared at first: she had a rough background with tough men who thought muscles meant they could do anything they wanted. But after analyzing his behavior around the brunette, she was relieved to see him behave appropriately and keep his distance before getting a signal from Charlie to approach her. It told her he wasn’t a match to Charlie’s expectations.

While the woman sat on the small couch, the man walked towards the counter. Taking her eyes of the stunning brunette, she smiled at him.

“Hello love, my name is Charlie. I’m sorry but we had a material shortage and I’ll need you to wait let’s say…10/15 minutes? It won’t take long, my friend should be arriving in no time.”

“Hello. Don’t worry, I don’t mind waiting. I made a reservation under the name Ray Palmer.”

“Let me check. Yes, Ray Palmer at 16:20. Did you mention what tattoo you wanted when you scheduled or not?”

“I did, but the woman I talked to said I needed to drop by to see it before anything else was done. Do you happen to have the drawing there?”

“Give me a minute, I’ll call my girl and see where she left it.”

Ray nodded with a smile and went to sit next to the woman while Charlie made the call. ‘He seems nice,’ though Charlie confirming her suspicious.

While waiting for her friend to pick it up, she discreetly eyed the woman.

She was probably around her age, shorter than her maybe a few centimeters. Her clothes looked expensive, and Charlie figured she had a wealthy upbringing. Nevertheless, her posture and the way she freely talked to Ray seemed different than what you’d expect from someone with money.

That conception eased Charlie’s mind. She hated rich kids who thought they owned the world.

The voice of Sara pulled her from the duo.

“Hey girl. Look there’s a man here named Ray Palmer. He has a reservation for 16:20. Could you tell me where you left the drawing?”

“Oh shit! I forgot about his drawing! If you go to the office you’ll find it. It's a compass and he wants to get it on his left arm. Do you mind finishing it for me? It just needs some retouches and a over lining in some spots.”

“No problem love. You owe me this one though!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know you too well you little shit!,” mocked the other woman ending the call

Going to the office looking for the drawing wasn’t too hard. Sarah probably realized the lack of material earlier and wanted to save the material for as long as she could, because she immediately noticed what Sara had meant by her request.

Taking it back to the counter, she called Ray with a whistle.

“Oi Ray, come here please,” said Charlie watching the man run to her, “Listen, I have the drawing but there are some parts missing. Do you trust me to finish the drawing or do you want to wait for my friend?”

“I’m gonna trust you. I’ve been seeing some of your works on the wall and they seem pretty good.”

Charlie took the pencil and started correcting the details she found unnecessary and adding more contrast to others, while Ray looked at the phoenix on the wall.

Zari took this chance to observe the artist working from afar. There was a certain charm in her that attracted Zari in a way she couldn’t understand. Maybe it was the tattoos that covered her right arm, or the warm smiled she wore while attending Ray, or even the hotness that grew in Zari while listening to the thick accent in the woman’s voice.

Either way, she was hypnotizing.

But she knew it wasn’t something to take in consideration.

Coming from a wealthy Muslim family, had its ups and downs so to speak. The world had proven to be filled with greedy and jealous people who only saw the money instead of the person behind Zari. Sure, it wasn’t something new for her at this time of her life, but at a young age, knowing this was torture.

Without notice, Ray went to her side and watched the wordless interaction happen. It took a couple of seconds, but when Zari noticed her friend next to her, she jumped.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“I saw that.”

“And by ‘that’ you mean?”

“You, checking her out. Not like you made it obvious or anything.”

‘This bitch,’ thought Zari before speaking, “Why did I agree with this? I should’ve just told Ava to come with you instead.”

“You know I’m afraid of needles. That’s why you agreed to come with me. C’mon, be real with me. She’s hot, isn’t she?”

“You know I hate the idea of judging someone by their looks. But yes, I agree. She is hot.”

“I can hear you, loves.” screamed Charlie looking back to the duo.

Zari quickly turned to the artist, seeing her with a sly smirk on her lips and a spark in her eyes that let her know she was enjoying the view of Zari’s cheeks reddening by the second. Hiding her face in her hands and pretending to pay attention to some random drawing on the wall, Zari tried regaining her composure while Charlie shook her head in denial and tried returning to her work while Ray attempted to hide his laughter. ‘Thank God, I turned around,’ thought Charlie.

“I’m gonna kill you Ray,” whispered Zari.

“You wanna tell me you ain't glad she heard you?”

“No, I'm not!”

“That's a shame, 'cause she just smiled at you and turned away.”

“Really?”

“Now you're interested?,” mocked Ray once again

Zari didn't answer. She knew better than to respond to Ray's bickering.

*********

Just as Charlie was finishing the drawing, Sara came back with a heavy black bag. Lucky for Ray, the new materials would make it easier for them to create the ideal image for the tattoo with so many details.

She smiled at Ray and the woman with him, and walked towards the counter.

“Wassup?”

“I love you with all my being!”

“I take it you’re enjoying the view from here?”

“Oh I sure have been.”

Sara laughed and took the bags to the storage room, rapidly putting everything in their place. Once returned, Charlie showed her all the changes she made to the drawing. Sara proudly looked at the final result.

Even thought Charlie had only recently started working on the tattoo industry, she had been showing great progress and quality in drawing. Quietly proving those who doubted her wrong.

“Looks good, girl. Wanna do the tattoo yourself?”

“Are you sure?”

“I trust you Charlie. Besides is about time I start giving more work around the shop.”

“I feel like there was a compliment around that insult. But sure, I’ll talk to them.”

Charlie whistled to get the duo's attention. When they lifted their heads towards her, she spoke: “I'm done. Wanna see the result?”

Ray spent some time looking at the tattoo with teary eyes. It meant the world to him this tattoo and seeing how good the result was, made him want to cry.

“Don't tell me is that bad?,” joked Charlie.

“No. It's fantastic. You did a great job. I’m just getting a bit emotional.”

“So you wouldn't mind if I tattooed you instead of my girl over there?”

“Not at all. Let's do it.”

It didn't take long for Charlie to tell them everything was ready.

She made sure Ray was certain he wanted to do this and tried to make him fell as safe as possible. The year she had spent just watching Sara work helped her understand the struggles some people go to when going through the process and sometimes the artist had to step in and help them overcome the initial fear.

From the very beginning Charlie talked to him, in a distracting way from the pain, making short pauses for Ray to take a deep breath and relax.

Zari was glad to see the care the artist had for her clients. It showed her Charlie corresponded to the ideal she had imagined from the first impressing.

“First time huh?,” wondered Charlie

“Yeah. Never thought I'd get one of these.”

“What made you do it then?”

“I'm getting married in 3 weeks. And decided that wasn't the only thing that would give my mother a heart attack.”

“Is you wife okay with this idea of your to give your mother a heart attack?”

“She’s the one that actually convinced me to it,” said Ray looking at Zari while she nodded.

Charlie wanted to laugh at that joke, but stopped herself. What if this woman accompanying him is his wife? She might feel insulted by it. The thought alone made Charlie sick at heart. She was clearly attracted to this woman. Last thing she needed was a jealous husband attacking her for staring.

“That's why you decided to bring her with ya?”

“Wait? You think…me and him...Hell no! We're just friends. The woman he's gonna marry stayed home. She was too tired from all the preparations of the wedding,” spoke Zari looking surprised and a bit weird out by the idea, "Besides I prefer women more so I don't think something between us would work."

Charlie froze for a few seconds before bringing her attention back to Ray.

Did this mean the woman was single? God, she hoped so. She could already feel herself crushing hard, scaring her a bit.

Never had she felt this strongly attracted to someone, and yet, look at her now. She smelled like a mixture of different senses. How did she get that? Was it perfume? Whatever it was, it smelled heavenly.

Luckily they didn't notice the little monologue with her inner self, since Ray took the opportunity to explain why he was doing this tattoo.

He told her his mother had recently discovered an old compass from his dad, so Ray wanted to get a drawing of a compass, so once he has kids, they can have the material one and he'll always have a version of it with him at all times. Sort of a tradition he was hoping to start.

Ray looked at the wall clock and called Zari’s attention to it. They had a silent conversation, that didn’t go unnoticed by Charlie, before Ray giving her thumbs up.

Taking the opportunity, Zari excused herself from the room and called Ava.

“Hey girl. I need a favor.”

“I have an alibi and a shovel. Which one you need?”

“What? No! I just need you to come down to the tattoo shop, “Killer Ink”. You know the one right in front of my shop? Ray is getting is first tattoo and I need to water the flowers. Besides, you know how he gets around needles.”

“I'm on my way babe. Be there in 10.”

"Thanks. You're an angel. Call me once you get here."

Zari thanked Allah for her friend. Ava may be a bit too much at times, but she would always come running when someone was in need.

It was funny thinking back to the first time she met Ava, a shy and organized person who wanted nothing more than to do her job without disturbing anyone, that she would become such a crucial part of her life. Ava had been one of the first to love Zari for herself, instead of her status. Maybe because Ava hadn't been aware of just how rich she was, or if she did, never giving any notice that she had previous knowledge on the subject. Either way, Zari was happy for having her.

Being so concentrated on her phone, Zari didn't even see Sara standing on the counter looking at her.

“Hello,” spoke Sara.

“Ah!,” Zari screamed a bit.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. You are…?”

“Zari. And you are...”

“Sara," said smiling, "Why did you leave the room? Charlie wasn’t pulling any stupid things with you, was she?”

“No, no. I really just needed to make a call.”

“I can leave you to be, if you want.”

“No, it's fine. Besides, my friend is coming to meet us here. I don't mind the company.”

“You work ahead of us right? ‘Flowering Sunshine’?”

“Yeah. I've been here for over 5 years. I actually dropped by when you first opened 3 months ago, but you were too busy to notice me, so I just saw some of your drawings on the wall and left. I was actually the one that pointed Ray to come here.”

Sara's eyes widened.

The opening day had probably been their most busy time, with the preparations and all the friends and family coming to congratulate them.

She thought to have introduced herself to all those present, but apparently she had missed some.

“Oh shit. I am so sorry. I swear I tried to greet everyone that day!”

“No it’s fine. I could see you had a lot on your plate that day.”

“Well I’m glad I finally got to talk to you.”

“So am I.”

While Zari and Sara continued their talk, Ava walked inside the shop.

As usual, making everyone aware of her presence. Zari shook her head while Sara stared the blonde in a grey suit that had burst through her parlor.

“I’m here. Who do I have to kill?”

“Chill Ava. Everyone knows you a big softie,” mocked Zari

“I’m a bad bitch, you just jealous," said Ava, placing her hand on her chest faking a shocked expression

“Jealous? Of a woman who cries watching ‘Marley and I’? You wish!”

“Name one person that doesn’t cry during ‘Marley and I’!”

Fearing a discussion was about to start, Sara decided to intervene.

No matter how good looking the blonde was, the last thing she needed was some bystander witnessing the confusion in the parlor and calling the cops on the account of public disturbance.

Or worse, a customer losing interest.

“Hi,” spoke Sara softly, “Sorry to interrupt your conversation but could you please try not to speak so loudly? My friend is in the booth giving a tattoo and the noise from outside are really distracting. Plus, I don’t want to scare any possible customers.”

“We’re sorry Sara. It won’t happen again,” assured Zari.

The woman smiled at her and proceeded with her work.

Ava eyed the woman from head to toe. The colorful tattoos covering her left arm gave her a bad girl vibe, but the soft tone in her voice while addressing them and the concentrating look in her face told a different story.

It was hot.

Turning around, she whispered to Zari.

“Who’s that?,” questioned Ava

“Oh! It’s Sara. She works here with Charlie.”

“She’s hot."

“And you’re annoying. A matched made in heaven,” spoke Zari with an ironic tone.

“Don’t be like this cutie pie. You know you love me," said Ava crushing Zari in a tight hug.

Zari release herself and punched Ava’s arm lightly.

Turning to the booth, she knocked on the door before going inside.

“It’s me. Just letting you know imma check the shop for a few minutes.”

“Is Ava already here? Charlie is a pretty good distraction but I’d feel safer if one of you was here in the shop,” asked Ray.

“Yeah, she’s here. Imma send her in ok?”

“Thanks,” replied Ray.

Going back to her friend, Zari saw Ava leaning on the counter talking to Sara.

She immediately thought ‘what the hell is going on in here?’.

Followed by an ‘I can’t believe she’s doing this right now!’.

“So how long does it usually take to get a reservation here?”

“Depends on the amount of work we have on the shop. But right now we don’t have any available hour,” explained Sara keeping a professional tone.

“How about I give you my number and you’ll call me when you’re free?"

“AVA SHARPE! STOP FLIRTING WITH SARA AND GET YOUR ASS IN THAT BOOTH!,” shouted Zari.

“On my way,” replied Ava raising her hands in the air, “Don’t forget to call me.”

“Did you even give her your phone number for her to call?”

Ava stopped and stared at Zari, nodding her head once the realization hit her, grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling her number.

Before going inside the room, Ava turned around blowing a kiss at the duo.

Sara shook her head laughing at the woman’s ethics. Zari placed her hand on her head, cursing Ava in every way she knew.

That woman never ceased to amaze her.

Going to Sara, she immediately apologized for her friend’s attitude.

“Is she always like this?”

“You get used to it after a while.”

“Oh, I could definitely get used to her,” thought Sara.

Sara didn’t realize she had spoken out loud her thinking, quickly turning back to a new drawing, which was for a next week customer. Feeling eyes on her she looked at Zari who wore a funny expression on her face.

“I heard that,” mentioned Zari to a surprised Sara, “And by the way, if you DO give her your number, make sure you treat her right. She may not seem like it, but Ava is a fragile person that wears her heart on her sleeve. She doesn’t need any more suffering. “

“I’ll try my best.”

Zari left the shop and crossed the road to her own. It was almost 17:30 and some of her plants needed to be watered. Since her afternoon prayer was only at 18 o’clock she figured there was still time left.

With all that work and her pause for praying, she didn’t notice her friends joining her, only paying attention when she heard the bell ring.

“You already finished?”

“Yep. It looks really good. Look.”

It did, in fact.

The skin was red from the process but the details were exceptional. Charlie made sure to give space between the tiny details so when the skin healed, people could still notice them, without looking weird or blurred. She was happy with the result.

Charlie was very talented.

“That looks really good. Nora is gonna love it.”

“And I got the number of a hot blonde,” spoke Ava waving the small paper in the air.

“I’m not even surprised.”

“Me neither, Zari.”

They continued talking during the rest of the afternoon up until Ray got a call from his fiancé, asking him to come home, since his mother decided to pay them a visit.

Ava took the opportunity to leave too, claiming to be tired from the trip. Her friend knew very well all she wanted was to call Sara and talk to her a bit, but as good friends they were, nothing was said about the subject.

Around 8 o’clock, Zari closed the shop and walked to her apartment. Lucky for her, she found a space close her shop, which made it easier for her to be on time to open up and prepare things as well as arriving home early.

Turning around, she spotted Charlie leaving the tattoo harbor too.

Waving at her, the woman soon came to her smiling.

“Going home?”

“Ay. Gonna give myself a good night sleep, after all the work we had today.”

“By the way, I’m Zari. Not sure you got my name back there.”

“Not really. Nice to meet you, Zari.”

“You too. And I’m sorry for leaving during Ray’s appointment but the plants were in desperate need of water. See you tomorrow.”

“It’s alright. See ya tomorrow, love!”

Arriving at her house, Zari prepared a quick meal and plumed on the couch where she stayed watching her favorite show.

Saying her night prayer and laying in her bed, Zari thought about her little encounter with Charlie and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

*******

It had been 5 months since Ray's weeding.

The ceremony had been beautiful, and everyone had a blast. Zari took many pictures with all guests and even promised to send some of the most embarrassing to those who wished to have them.

It was around 4 months after that Ava had given the wonderful news to her friends that she was in a relationship with Sara. Apparently, they had been talking ever since their first meeting and, according to her it was going pretty great. Sara was a wonderful person and very communicative with Ava, allowing her to express herself in a way many forbidden her in the past. It was evident the change in Ava’s humor and attitude, growing happier by the day.

They were all very happy for her and Charlie took the time to give her some advices on how to handle Sara, who were greeted with laughter.

All that Zari knew about Sara was the things that Charlie had told her. Of course Charlie would try to beneficiate her best friend, by commenting on her best qualities rather than her flaws, but over all she always showed Sara as a good person.

Another surprise for Charlie was the scene Ray’s mom apparently made when seeing the tattoo for the first time. The group remembered the moment with humor, while Charlie paid attention to their narrative.

“You should have seen her face! I thought she was gonna kill Ray the second she noticed something in his arm,” laughed Zari mimicking Ray’s mom, “What is that? Is that a tattoo? Ray darling why would you do that? Why would you damage your arm like that?”

“Poor Rayge. I can’t imagine how he must have felt.”

“Oh trust me. She looked like she was really about to have a heart attack. Lucky for him, Nora stood by his side. I’m telling you, those two were meant to be together,” pointed Ava.

“Did you still had doubts about them?,” questioned Charlie

“Of course not! I’ve always know they were perfect for one another. Just like me and Sara.” 

“I’m still amazed at the amount of patience that woman must have to put up with you!,” joked Zari.

“That’s because I always make it up to her.”

“NO! DON’T! I DO NOT WISH TO KNOW WHAT GOES ON BETWEEN YOU TWO!”

“Lucky you. I once heard them,” complained Charlie

“That was an accident.”

“Keep telling yourself that, love.”

Zari and Charlie had grown closer too. Every day, for the past 3 months, they have met at the local coffee and spent their breaks talking about everything and nothing.

Charlie had learned so much about Zari. Apparently she had an older brother named Behrad, who was a traveler. She had long stopped talking to her parents, although she never told Charlie the reasoning behind said break, and had started the ‘Flowering Sunshine’ 5 years ago.

She also noticed how Zari would bite her nails and frown when nervous; she loved separating the sections of her shop by color, as well as season. She had many smiles, but Charlie noticed the one Zari gave her was special, unique even. It made Charlie feeling warm and fussy, thinking maybe she was someone special in Zari’s life.

Zari had also learned many things about Charlie, feeling the same way Charlie did, but not knowing the other did.

It was a painful thing to witness, and their friend’s efforts to make them realize this were effortless. The insecurities of past mistakes made it difficult for the women to believe in anything more than a great friendship.

They talked for a few more minutes before Ava mentioned needing to leave to work. The duo kissed her goodbye and continued their conversation about Ava and Sara.

“She looks a lot happier these past months. More annoying, but happier.”

“If she’s so annoying why don’t you talk to her about it?”

“Are you kidding me? I love her just like that. Back when we first meet, she wouldn’t even raise her voice at me. I’ll take snarky Ava, over her old self anytime.”

“Why was she like that?”

“We all have skeletons in our closet. Ava’s are just….deeper.”

“Yeah. Sara said something about some bad relationship.”

“You can put ‘horrible’ in there. Mark was awful to Ava and an abusive piece of shit. I’m not the one who should give you the details of that time, but if Ava decides one day to let you in on this, don’t be judgmental. She doesn’t deserve it.”

“No. That’s too low for me. Everyone deals with things differently and I’m not about judging other,” replied Charlie checking the time, “My break is almost over as well. See you tomorrow?”

“Same time and place as always.”

Leaning in on Zari, Charlie placed a light kiss on the corner of Zari’s lips, catching her off guard. Charlie herself couldn’t tell you why she did it.

It felt right.

Like a habit of hers.

While Zari looked surprised at Charlie, the other woman simply winked at her and walked in Sara’s direction, which was already waiting for her, mentally hitting herself for her attitude.

“What the fuck Charlie? Are you out of your mind? Why would you embarrass Zari like that? I’m surprised she didn’t smack you right there!,” thought Charlie

“What was that?,” thought Zari

********

It was almost closing time and Zari was still thinking about that almost kiss Charlie had given her. She knew unless someone helped her out, she would eventually burn herself with all the doubts.

Trying to call Ray but failing to get him on the phone, Zari went to Ava. She most likely already was at her place, since she took the morning shift.

Calling her phone, she waited for a reply.

“Code purple! I repeat, code purple!,” repeated Zari once Ava answered.

“Woman, I love you very much, but I have no idea what you’re talking about? And haven’t we promised to stop with this codes thing?,” wondered Ava.

“Ava, please. It’s an emergency. Charlie kissed me!”

“WHAT?”

Zari could hear the distinct sound of Ava falling to the ground, as well as the ruffle of a pair of keys and the clear sound of someone calming Ava down.

Before returning her attention to Zari, the woman heard the sound of kissing and whispers of returning soon.

“I’m on my way to your house. Wait, let me change. I’ll let you know when I’m close,” Ava ended the call, leaving Zari to laugh at her in the middle of the street.

Reaching her house, the first thing she did was taking her shoes off. As much as she loved them, the feeling of getting rid of it was reliving.

Next, she did her nightly prayer. She wasn’t aware for how long Ava would be around and the sun had already set, so she knew her schedule would not be disrupted.

Being an organized person, she wasn’t worried about how the house looked to receive Ava. The problem came with Ava herself since she didn’t call like she promised.

Instead she barged inside the building and rang her doorbell until Zari opened the door and pulled her inside.

“Are you trying to wake the entire building?”

“Fuck the building! This is more important! Tell me, is she a good kisser? Did you use tongue? Oh God, did you do it in the shop?,” rejoiced Ava

“First, it wasn’t an actual kiss. It was like a light touch on the corner of my lips. Second, you need to chill; my workplace is sacred to me. Unlike you and Sara who pretty much do it wherever you feel like it.”

“That was one time, and one time only. I can believe you pulled me out of my comfy couch to hear about some ‘light touch’. It’s been 5 months. Just ask her out already.”

“Ava, I love you. But you need to start seeing things from my perspective. In my world I can’t just do what I want without making sure there are no secondary intentions.”

“Are you really pulling the rich card with me? Zari, Charlie doesn’t care about your money. She wants you for yourself. Throw yourself in, no fears.”

“Ava you know I can’t think like that. You better than anyone know the struggles I went when it comes to relationships. And I’m not just talking about my wealth, but my religion as well. This is America, a place where unless you’re white, male and cisgender, you don’t get a free pass to everything.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry for acting like this. But I can see that Charlie likes you. Truly likes you. That is why I’m so persistent on this. Just promise you’ll think about it.”

“I will. Pinky swear.”

“Pinky swear.”

They talked for a bit, about how the day went and the planes Sara had made for Ava since they hadn’t been able to spent some alone time in a while: a movie night with sweet popcorn and a whole lot of chocolate.

“Don’t let me keep you away from your woman. Go on, we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I should go so you can say your prayers in peace. Talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

**********

It was morning time. Zari looked at the close and noticed it was only 5:40 am: the sun was about to rise. ‘Might as well enjoy the view,’ thought.

Taking her prayer mat to the living room, she listened to the birds waking and the few people going by to their day. The warm touch of the first rays of the sun allowed her to manage the time of her prayers. Winter had arrived but the weather remained warm and welcoming. Global warming really had been taking its tool on the environment.

Taking the time she had alone in the shop, Zari gave much necessary thought about her late night conversation with Ava.

Sure, she would be able to admit there was something that lured Zari towards Charlie. But the thought of actually putting herself in such a vulnerable position and proclaiming it out loud scared Zari. What if Ava was wrong about this? What if Charlie didn’t reciprocate her feelings? How would she be able to proceed with their friendship when the tension from this acceptance had settled? Not to mention, Sara would absolutely take Charlie’s side and that could cause a drift between her and Ava.

No, she would rather keep her emotions hidden than risk the happiness of her friend.

It was Saturday, and many had taken the sunny day as an opportunity to spend some family time.

Apparently, so did her brother, who had returned from one of his many trips around the globe to visit his sister and give her some welcoming news.

“GOOD MORNING SIS!”

“BEHRAD!”

A tight hug between them was enough to kill the lack of presence in each other’s lives.

While Zari had remained in America and refused to return once their parents started persuading the typical misogyny ideals they had developed from birth, Behrad followed their ideals, blindsided by his idolization of their parents.

Being the male who never raised his voice to them made him the perfect child.

He finally stopped when they arranged his marriage with another woman, 10 years his younger. At the time, Behrad was 29 and the idea of marrying a 19 year old sickened him. Putting his foot down, Behrad faced many consequences for his actions, including being disowned by his parents and taken under his uncle’s wings.

Zari thanked Allah for his interference in his brother's life and making him see what she had known all those years: her parents were not Muslims, they were fanatics.

The money simply brought it out from the tomb.

"How's everyone?"

"Well Ray and Nora have already told us that they are taking some time to prepare the adoption process. Nora mentioned that she wants the room prepared with all the furniture and Ray is running things with Mick to be certain the process and all their info is legally updated. Last we talked, Mick was certain they had a pretty good chance of winning the case and becoming little Jackson's adoptive parents. Lemme tell you, looking at that man, you wouldn’t think he’s this great social worker.

«Ava and Sara have been pretty strong too. At first it was a little difficult because Ava's insecurities came back around, but Sara has been a great support and I'm sure you'll get it once you see them together. Seriously they are the embodiment of a kitty poster.

«And I'm just working and taking my sweet life one day at a time."

"Sounds like a lot has changed since my last visit. But I guess it's about time I also tell you my news."

"What news?"

"I may be seeing someone..."

"Who? When? What? TELL ME EVERYTHING!"

"His name is Nate. He's a History professor at the University of Glasgow. He pretty much is a specialist in every history period, but he mostly focus on Medieval Times, since it's his favorite period. We met through a friend who for some reason decided to go on a double date. Thing is, he went on a date with Nate, while I went on a date with a girl I had met during my time in Scotland.

«Lemme tell you, that was a disaster. She was so annoying and self-centered and our friend was the biggest narcissist you could meet. In the end, Nate offered to take me back to my apartment and we ended up eating ice-cream in the middle of a kid’s park.

«He went on a couple more dates, and here we are now. 6 months going strong."

"He sounds lovely. Also, 6 MONTHS? Why didn’t you tell me sooner, dipshit?"

"In my defense, you know how horrible the signal is from Zambezi. I literally only had time to call you from the airport to let you know I was coming.”

“Fine. I accept your apology. For now. Did Nate come with you?”

“No. With the Winter Holidays coming, they need to prepare for the students exams and all but I'll make sure he makes a quick stop around this area."

"You better. I need to make sure his right for you!"

"Of course you do, little sis."

Jumping from the chair he was sitting, the man covered Zari's view with his body, keeping her in place with a bear hug. Zari couldn't help but laugh at her brother's goofiness. He had always been a great support in her life, and seeing him so happy, made her happy as well.

In their position, the brothers couldn't see Charlie arriving at the 'Flowering Sunshine', or her sad expression while noticing the sound of Zari's laugh while the unknown man hugged her laughing too.

She looked so happy. Happier than she ever looked whenever Charlie was around. At least that's what the ache in her heart told her.

'Look at her. That is not some ordinary smile you throw your friends. That's a smile specially reserved for that special one. I mean, what did you expect? She would wait 5 months, even more, for you to make a move? Of course not, she found someone and is happy with him obviously,' mentioned the voice inside her head

"She said she preferred women," replied Charlie mentally

'Preferring doesn't exclude men, dear Charlie. You should know that by now,' answered the annoying little voice.

Charlie left as quietly as she came in. Walking inside the parlor without a word to Sara or Ava, she went to another separate part of the shop and curled herself in a ball, trying to keep the crying sound to a minimal.

A wordless conversation was held between the duo that ended it with a kiss and a 'see you at your place'.

The woman found Charlie in the store's panic room. Sara had been the one requesting the room due to her panic attacks caused by years of PTSD. Charlie was battling the tears but failing miserably.

Never speaking, she hugged her friend while she cried her sorrows away. Sara closed the shop as soon as Charlie fell asleep from all the crying and exhaustion, calling all their clients of the day to ask to reschedule their appointment.

Charlie returned to her senses around 7 o'clock. Noticing her surroundings, she tried pinpointing what time was and how did she manage to reach the small sofa on the room with a blanked over her. Sara arrived and handed her a cup of steaming tea, giving her the answer.

"How you feeling?"

"Better."

They remained in a comfortable silence. Sara wanted Charlie to take the initiative of telling what had happen, but knew her friend was stubborn and worse, closed off. When things went wrong, Charlie would keep it all bottled up, only to blow it all once it reached its boiling point.

“There was…someone…with Zari in the shop. A man. He was hugging her and laughing with her. They looked really happy and as you can tell, I didn’t want to interrupt the cute couple’s moment,” explained Charlie, with a sarcastic tone in the last sentence.

“Someone?”

“Ay.”

“And you know that ‘someone’ was Zari’s supposed boyfriend because…?”

“C’mon mate. I’m not blind. Zari’s face said it all. She’s obviously taken and I’ve been misinterpreting the signals.”

“Was that someone a tall man, with light brown hair, kinda skinny, with a stoner style?”

“I think so. Why?”

Sara tried. Really, she tried, very hard. But the description Charlie was giving her was enough confirmation for her to burst down laughing. If looks could kill, Sara would be lying on the floor, bleeding from all over the place with stab wounds on her body.

“Really mate?”

“Charlie, that’s Behrad. Zari’s brother? Didn’t she show you a picture before?”

The notion hit her like a truck. She hadn’t in fact seen any photos of Behrad, since Zari mentioned many of those were in her apartment, and Charlie didn’t press the issue. Putting the pieces together, she noticed all the dots connecting around her brain, clear thinking now.

“BLOODY HELL!”

Getting up too fast, Charlie lost her balance and her sense of motion, nearly passing out from the action. If not for Sara’s fast reflexes, Charlie would go straight to the ground. Steadying her and taking her back to the sofa, Sara helped Charlie regain her stability.

“You ok?”

“Ay. Just shot up too fast.”

“C’mon, leave the talking for tomorrow. Right now you need to rest.”

“How do you-“

“Know you were about to run to Zari? Just a hunch,” smirked Sara, “C’mon Charlie, how long have Zari’s friends and I been telling you Zari is clearly interested in you? It seems like the only people who don’t see it and Zari and you!”

“Here we go again.”

“Nope. You gonna listen to me. Zari likes you and if you don’t start taking actions, you’re gonna walk out that door one day and realized you missed your chance because you were too stubborn to see what’s right in front of you! One day, you might actually walk inside the Flowering Sunshine and see Zari with someone and realized they did what you were too scared to do. ASK ZARI OUT!”

Charlie felt bad for leaving Zari on hold, especially once she noticed the text message she had left her, wondering why Charlie didn’t show at their usual encounter. Replying with a generic excuse, Charlie took some time for herself, allowing her body to recover from the multitude of feelings rounding her up.

Zari had clearly not been pleased by the response, since she called Charlie a few moments later.

“Charlie? What’s wrong? Did something happen to Sara or you?”

“No love. I sort of had a panic attack and ended up sleeping through the afternoon.”

“What? Are you ok now? What happened for you to have a panic attack?”

The battle in her head continues. Should she tell Zari the truth or bottle her feelings once again? The talk with Sara still resonated inside her, so taking a leap of faith, Charlie did something she was sure to regret. She was honest.

“I had a jealousy attack. Because of you.”

“What?”

Zari was certain she hadn’t heard correctly. Charlie was jealous, of her? Why? Did this mean what she thought it meant? Oh Allah, please, let it be. Zari hadn’t recognized just how long had passed from Charlie’s confection until the woman herself noted it.

“Zari? Are you still there?”

“Yeah. I’m here. Why-why did- why were you jealous?”

“Because I saw you, with that mate, this morning. I noticed your smile and the way you were acting around him in that moment. You seemed happier. And I got jealous because…because I wasn’t the one making you happy like that. Because I thought I’d missed my shot and I couldn’t handle the struggle of knowing you had someone else in your life that made you feel all the things I wanted to make you feel.”

Zari remained silent, listening carefully to every word Charlie told her. Every single one of them making her heart skip a beat. Comprehending the situation a little better, Zari allowed herself to daydream about seeing Charlie and all the expressions that her face wore. Oh how Zari wished she was face to face with Charlie, seeing her biting her lips from the nervousness and twisting her hands, and looking at every place but her eyes.

Charlie had told her countless times, she had a hard time looking at Zari in the eyes.

“It feels like you’re staring at my soul, love. I feel you reaching to my being and stripping me to my bare self. It’s like you can see my true self, flaws and all. And I HATE that. Hate it when someone reads me like that. But when it’s you, I’m ok with it,” she had told her once.

Allah, she felt like an idiot in love. Or worse, a teenager that just discovered what love feels like.

Once again, her silence was misinterpreted by Charlie, who began to feel the tears weight in her eyes. How could she listen to Sara? She should have just taken her own advice and leave things the way they were.

“Do you wanna grab dinner sometime?”

Zari’s voice broke her negative thoughts. Did she just ask her out?

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Yes Charlie. I am.”

“I…don’t know what to say…”

“A yes would be nice”

Charlie laughed at Zari’s playful joke. It broke the awkward moment hanging in the air around them, even if they weren’t in each other’s presence.

“Yes. I’d love to go on a date with ya.”

“Next Saturday, at 9?”

“It’s settled.”

“Great.”

“Ay…”

“Does it sound stupid if I say I can’t wait for it?”

“No, love. It doesn’t sound silly at all.”

**********

It was Friday night and Zari was pacing around her apartment. Why did she agree to this again? Sure, she truly liked Charlie, and was over the moon for going out with her but, may Allah forgive her, Zari was on the verge of a nervous breakdown

Ava, Ray and Nora had taken the night out to help Zari out and things haven’t been great.

“Will you please calm down? You’re going on a date, you’re not proposing.”

“Nora’s right, Zari. It’s just one date. It’s going to be ok.”

“What if it doesn’t? What if I blow my chances with Charlie and she never wants to see me again?”

“Zari, c’mon, the woman had a panic attack because she thought you were dating someone else. Trust me when I say she is as excited about this just as much as you are.”

“And you know this how?”

“Sara’s been texting me. Apparently, Charlie is as nervous as you are.”

“See Zari? There is no need for panic. Now calm down and show us what you picked out to wear tomorrow,” calmly asked Ray.

“That’s the thing. I don’t have anything to wear…which is why I called you all here tonight.”

“And knowing you the way we do, it’s why I brought this.”

Ava grabbed the bag she was carrying and removed a beautiful red dress from there. It was very simple, long enough to reach her ankles and from the looks Zari had given it, would fit her figure perfectly. She was speechless.

“Please tell me you didn’t buy this for me.”

“I didn’t. A friend bough me this but, as you know, red isn’t my color. Since I know you really trying with Charlie, I figured it might suit you better.”

Zari wanted to cry. Ava was willing to lend her a dress just so she could look nice for Charlie. Without a second thought she hugged her friend with a few tears ruining through her cheeks.

“Thank you Ava. Thank you so much.”

“Hey, come on! We’re friends. We have each other’s back. Now go. Take this, iron it a bit and get some sleep. You got a date tomorrow.”

Ava and the gang left with another hug and a smile on her face. Zari was smiling too.

“Yeah. I got a date tomorrow.”

*******

It was almost 9 o’clock when Charlie appeared in a car. Zari was quite surprised since every time she saw Charlie, she had always ridden a motorcycle. So of course the first thing to leave Zari’s mouth was:

“You own a bike AND a car?”

“I wish. Sara let me use her car. Ava said she’ll drive her to the shop tomorrow morning.”

“Those two really hit it off, didn’t they?”

“Ay love, but I’m happy for them. If things continue the way they heading, we’re in for a serious love case.”

“What about us? Do you think we might end up a serious love case?,” baited Zari.

“Maybe tonight will tell.”

The trip to the restaurant was quiet, with only small talk between the duo.

Upon arriving at the place, Zari noted much to her surprise, that the place was empty. Taking her time, she observed Charlie’s dressing choice. She had decided on wearing a black suit with a salmon shirt, alongside her inseparable sneakers. Zari laughed when Charlie said she thought about wearing fancy shoes, but knew Zari wouldn’t judge her on going for a more comfortable choice.

It suited her.

Pun intended.

“Are we too early?”

“What makes you say that?”

“There isn’t a single soul in here!”

“Oh, that! Right! I may have forgotten to mention. This is my uncle’s place. They sort of let me have the place all for ourselves? If you don’t want to, we can go somewhere else.”

Zari noted the nervous tone in Charlie’s voice and saw her trembling hands. She was doing her little hand thing again. It made her take a deep breath and calm herself down. It was like Sara had said. This was just a date, it was suppose to be a way for them to connect and have a fun time, she didn’t need to feel like the world would crumble under her feet. Her nervous self calmed more when Zari left a soft kiss on her cheek.

“I loved it. It was one of the best surprises someone did for me.”

“Happy to hear that. Shall we go?”

The night was filled with their laughs and conversation. It was fascinating that even thought there were a few things they mutually liked their conversation didn’t fall into awkwardness. When one mentioned something they enjoyed, the other would require them to elaborate on why they liked it.

All in all it was a fun night, and helped them to know more details about the other.

Zari learned Charlie was quite the cooker, and obviously took the opportunity to propose a demonstration on their second date. Charlie learned that Zari loved to dance. Even if it was just fooling around, she was down to it. That also gave her a few ideas for a next date.

“Tell me more about your brother.”

“Well, as you already know, he’s a pain in the ass. But I wouldn’t trade him for anything. Especially now that he finally found someone that makes him happy.”

“Really? What’s the person’s name?”

“Nate. He told me he’s a History professor and they have been dating for 6 months now.”

“Wow, getting serious there.”

“THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID!”

“It’s like they say: great minds think alike.”

“Yeah. My parents weren’t too thrilled with the idea of him dating a man.”

“What was exactly that happened between your parents and you? You always show this distasteful hate for them.”

“Back when I was say, 15-16, I don’t really remember, they started acting differently towards me. They became more passive aggressive, always trying to degrade me and what I stood up for. Allah forbid me for trying to dress any differently than what I parents thought to be ‘respectful’ or ‘discreet’. In the end, I understood their way of seeing the world was corrupted by the money and my brother, luckily, gained sight and cut ties with them.”

“That’s rough. Did they do the same to him?”

“Worse, they tried marrying him to a 19 year old!”

“Bloody hell is wrong with them?”

“I don’t know. But at least we’re happy now.”

When all was said and done, Charlie drove Zari back to her place.

None of them knew what to do. Should they hug? Kiss?

The doubt was evident and was making things awkward. Charlie saw Zari mess around with her keys, as if trying to prolong their time together. She could already hear Sara screaming in her head. ‘Kiss her, you fool!’

But she didn’t. She wanted Zari to see that her interest in her was pure and that her goal was to win her heart, not take her to bed. With that in mind, Charlie left a long kiss on Zari’s forehead and a soft one on the corner of her lips.

Smiling at each other, the duo parted ways and made their way to their respective beds, dreaming of their night and how they wished to never lose this feeling of happiness.

*********

It was around 12 when Zari saw Ava walk through the door. Putting the purple heathers down, she hugged her and let her to a chair that was not being occupied by vases.

“So tell me everything. How did the date go?”

“It was fantastic. We talked about so much and she even asked the owner to give us the place to ourselves.”

“No shit! She really tried to impress you Zari!”

“Yeah. It was really great to be able to just talk and not have someone give you disapproval stares all the time.”

“I know how you feel. One time, while Sara and I were out, this Karen decided she just needed to express how our life style was so influential on her little boy who even though was only 2 already had women falling at his feet!”

Zari laughed at Ava’s expression and hand gestures while telling that story. Some people should just learn to mind their business.

“Did you have time to say your prayers yesterday?”

“Yes, Charlie also took that in consideration when we planned for the date. Besides, by the time we went out I had already finished my night prayer.”

“And did you talk about the whole Behrad situation?”

“We did, and we promised if by any chance something like this happened again, we would talk to each other before making assumptions.”

“Glad to hear that.”

A few minutes go by before Ava’s break ends and she needs to leave. Zari continue the day attending people and trying not to snap at those who thought they knew better than her. At the end of the day, she had a terrible headache and the memories of the wonderful time she had spent the night before with Charlie led to her inviting the women for a late night movie marathon.

Charlie agreed right away, promising to be by Zari’s apartment by 8 o’clock, not remembering that was Zari’s prayer time. Arriving at the place, she noticed the prayer mate on the floor and hit herself mentally.

“Bloody hell, I’m sorry Zari. I completely forgot to check the time with you.”

“It’s ok; I sort of forgot to mention it too. Do you mind if I say my prayer here or would you rather me go to my room?”

“No, please, be at ease. This is your house after all.”

Charlie remained on the couch, quietly watching Zari performing her routine. It was mesmerizing the way Zari would whisper to herself sometimes and the aura around her while involved in the moment. It reminded her of the times Charlie saw Zari invested in her flowers or arrangements.

When the prayer was over, Zari said something in Arabic and wrapped the mate, storing it in a corner of the living room. Putting on “My Life in Ruins”, Zari joined Charlie on the sofa cuddling on top of her. Charlie gladly accepted the pressure of Zari’s body, wrapping her arms around her and stroking her hair.

“I can’t believe you didn’t know about this movie.”

“I’m not a big knower on comedy, love.”

Charlie’s touch and the low volume of the TV soon began weighting on Zari, who in a matter of minutes was asleep. Charlie didn’t take long to follow, focusing her attention on Zari’s peaceful features while sleeping, only waking up once the final credits were rolling.

“Zari,” she whispered, “Wake up. It’s…almost 11 o’clock.”

Zari groaned at Charlie and curled herself around the woman’s body, making almost impossible for Charlie to move without pushing Zari to the ground. Giving up, Charlie tried sitting on the couch, lifting Zari in the process and forcing her to wake up.

“No,” Zari whined, “Stay. It’s late any way.”

“Zari, c’mon. The couch isn’t a good place for us to sleep.”

“We can go to my room, we’ll share the bed.”

Realization struck Charlie. Share the bed, as in, there was no other place for Charlie to sleep apart from a single person bed. Which means, they could continue to cuddle and that was all it took for Charlie to roll to the side, leaving her back to the edge of the sofa, allowing her to remove herself from Zari and pick her up bride style and carry her blindly around the apartment, trying to find the room.

Laying Zari on the left side, Charlie removed her clothes, staying in a shirt and her boxers. Climbing to the other side, Zari immediately curled herself around Charlie and smiled.

“You’re warm.”

“And you’re clingy when you’re sleep. You really weren’t kidding me when you said you lose all inhibitions when sleepy, were you?”

“No. I could even kiss you right now.”

“But I won’t let you. You’re not thinking straight right now, and I could not live with myself knowing I took advantage of you.”

“You’re too good for your own sake.”

And without warning, Zari turned Charlie’s head to face her and pressed their lips together. Charlie immediately melted into the kiss, grabbing Zari’s leg and lifting it allowing her to press herself on Zari. She was so soft and smelled like a mixture of various flowers. For a few moments, it was just them in that bed wrapped inside their own bubble of happiness were nothing and no one could burst, the world long forgotten by them.

When their clothes were lying on the floor and Charlie was leaving small pecks on Zari’s lips, the woman spoke.

“You know we’re never gonna hear the end of this from Ava right?”


End file.
